For decades, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms were processed electronically by the legacy Central Processing System. In 2021 the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) initiated a system development effort and in December 2023 deployed a new system to process forms for the 2024-2025 school year. However, student aid…

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the entry ramp to federal grants and loans that many students depend on to afford college. Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act in 2020 in part to make it easier to apply for federal aid. However, Education's rollout of the new FAFSA has suffered from numerous challenges and delays.…

These proposed standards prepared by the CD-ROM Ad Hoc Advisory Committee (the "High Sierra Group") specify the volume and file structure of compact read-only optical discs (CD-ROM) for the interchange of information between users of information processing systems. (Author/LRW)

Citing a need for a strong, clearly-defined approach to software maintenance, this report emphasizes the importance of maintenance throughout the life cycle of a software system. It also stresses the need to plan, develop, use, and maintain a software system with future maintenance in mind. The report presents guidance for controlling and…

The Commission on Federal Paperwork was charged by Congress and the President with the task of making recommendations to eliminate needless paperwork while assuring that the federal government has the information necessary to meet the mandate of law and operate effectively. The 36 reports of the commission (summarized in the appendixes) examined…

In 1978 the U.S. Congress passed the Control of Paperwork Amendments to control education-related paperwork and reduce unnecessary reporting. A study by the General Accounting Office (GAO) found that by 1981 the requirements of the law had yet to be met. According to the GAO, the Secretary of Education should reactivate the Federal Education Data…

Summarizes recent developments in information technology research and development, telecommunication services, telephone manufacturing, telecommunication networks, information processing, and U.S. import/export policy. It is concluded that government regulation as a policy strategy depends on how one defines national security. (Author/CLB)

In response to the growing importance of information issues in regional, national, and international forums, these papers on information policy were prepared by National Telecommunications and Information Administration consultants and staff members during 1979 and 1980 to provide a foundation for review, public analysis, and debate. Two types of…

Written in response to a request to review the implementation of the Department of Agriculture's Electronic Dissemination of Information (EDI) system, this fact sheet discusses the performance of the contractor operating the system and the role of EDI in the Department of Agriculture's overall public dissemination activities. A letter from the…

Established by Executive Order 12369 on June 30, 1982, the President's Private Sector Survey on Cost Control (PPSSCC) carried out its mandate through an executive committee of 161 high-level private sector executives. The committee set up a management office and 36 task forces with 1,300 members. The task forces were co-chaired by members of the…

Explores the public policy issues raised by the electronic collection and dissemination of Federal government information from the perspectives of Congress, the Executive Branch, the private sector, and the user community. Lists of selected references and texts of relevant Office of Management and Budget source documents are provided. An Update on…

This report presents results of research conducted in 1982 on the management of student information in Ontario. Amendments in 1982 to the Education Act, referred to as "Bill 82," mandated maintenance of student information and documentation of certain decision-making processes. The study examines the bill's legal implications and…

This document consists of 12 separate folders each listing a set of job competencies for a specific occupation or function area (e.g. television, wood construction) that is the subject of vocational and technical education courses at the middle and high school level in the Seattle (Washington) Public Schools Vocational/Technical Education…

Significant 1970's federal legislation regarding American Indian education includes the Tribally Controlled Community Colleges Act; the Gifted and Talented Children's Act (Title IX Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA) which focuses in part on economically disadvantaged children; the Bilingual Education Act (Title VII ESEA); and the…

This document with skill standards for the information processing cluster serves as a guide to workforce preparation program providers in defining content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition. These 49 occupational skill standards describe what people should know and be able to do…